| The digital part isn't really the important part. Indeed, the original article subtitle is "It’s Not Just About the Laptops". Some key points from TFA: * This is not about the technology [...] It’s about changing the culture of instruction. * Laptops [...] let students work at their own pace or in groups. * Mooresville frequently tests students in various subjects to inform teachers where each needs help. * Emphasis goes to identifying students who are only a few correct answers away from passing. * Students collaborate in small groups with the teacher swooping in for consultation. * Teachers apportion their time based on the need of students. * Students adapted to the overhaul more easily than their teachers. Layoffs in 2009 and 2010, of about 10 percent of the district’s teachers, helped weed out the most reluctant. * Technology would actually allow for more personal [...] interaction with students. * You have to trust kids [...] teachers have to be willing to give up control. * Culture of collaboration among staff and kids. * You have to realize that students learn best at their own pace. |